|
 Why does my dog need to be evaluated in person?
During the initial pre-boarding consultation, we
learn about your dog’s unique needs. We ask
questions about her social, medical and behavioral
history, her likes and dislikes, special handling
needs, and care requirements. We also assess how she
responds to the Truckee-Tahoe Kennels environment.
We use this information to place dogs appropriately
in playgroups, and to better meet your dog’s
individual needs while she is staying with us. We
also give you a full tour of the facility and answer
any questions you have about any of our services.
Our evaluation process also helps to ensure that all
dogs, staff and visitors are safe when they visit
our facility, as we will not accept dogs who
demonstrate overt aggression that may be a safety
risk.
This short trip to our facility also gives your dog
a chance to "sniff us out." Having a positive
experience during the initial consultation helps to
assure your dog that Truckee-Tahoe Kennels is a safe
and fun place to visit.
We offer a highly interactive boarding experience
where your dog will socialize with many people and
dogs on a daily basis. This is not a safe or
appropriate environment for all dogs, and in some
cases, we may refer you to a different service that
better suits your dog’s needs.
You are welcome to call us and schedule a
consultation even if you do not currently have
specific boarding dates to help to expedite your
check-in process when you do need to leave town.
Please note that we may not be able to accommodate
drop-in visitors and appointments are strongly
suggested.
My dog has never boarded before. Will he be OK?
Many of our guests are first-time boarders. If your
dog enjoys the company of other dogs, the daily
playgroups are a great outlet for the anxiety caused
by being away from home. You may also sign your dog
up for additional love and play sessions for dogs
that need some extra human TLC to help them feel
comfortable. It is not unusual for dogs with
separation anxiety to stop eating: we monitor all
meals and will add tasty treats, hand feed, or sit
with dogs during mealtimes to make sure they do not
miss too many meals.
If you are planning a longer stay, we also recommend
(and sometimes require) a trial day care or
overnight stay to help you dog acclimate to our
environment and routine.
My dog is not neutered, but he
likes other dogs. Can he still board with you?
We do accept un-spayed and un-neutered dogs, with
some restrictions. While we know that
un-neutered males can be great with other dogs, or
highly interactive play environment and
ever-changing doggie population can restrict us from
integrating un-neutered or un-spayed dogs due to the
hormones that unaltered animals put out, which can
alter the group chemistry in a negative way.
We can not predict how others will react to our dog,
and for everyone's safety, integration is on a case
by case and sometimes day to day basis. If we
are unable to integrate your unaltered dog, you will
be charged $10.00 for private play for every day
that your dog had private play. At holiday
periods and peak times, we will not integrate
unaltered dogs. Un-spayed females can not be
within thirty days of their heat cycle beginning or
ending. We reserve the right to turn away any
un-spayed female if she appear to be in heat or
close to being in heat.
My dog is from a shelter. Will he think I’m
abandoning him again?
Our environment is very different from most
shelters. At Truckee-Tahoe Kennels, dogs stay in a
home-like environment and receive lots of individual
attention and playtime outside with other dogs. A
good percentage of our dogs are rescues or come from
shelters, many from The Humane Society of
Truckee-Tahoe or Wylie Animal Rescue Foundation.
These dogs generally adapt very quickly and love
coming to "camp" to see their friends. If you are
unsure about how your dog will feel, why not
schedule an appointment for trial daycare or
playcare so that your dog can meet the staff and
learn the ropes?
How are playgroups structured?
Dogs are put in playgroups with other dogs of
similar size, age, and play style. Younger puppies
and rowdy adolescents have their own groups where
they won’t pester the older dogs. Senior citizens
also have their own group where they won’t be
overwhelmed by more active dogs.
Playgroup duration varies depending on the size and
canine make-up of each group, the weather and other
circumstances. We monitor groups so that dogs get
enough exercise without overdoing it.
I’m only coming to town for one weekend and don’t
plan to need boarding again. Does my dog still need
to have an evaluation?
If you don’t plan to return to Truckee Tahoe Kennels
in the future, we can do an abbreviated evaluation,
and your dog will need to be signed up for
individual playtime and bathroom breaks for an
additional fee. We do however still need a completed
behavioral history. If you want your dog to
participate in group play, he will need to undergo
our regular evaluation process.
What if my dog doesn’t play with other dogs?
Some dogs can not play with other dogs for medical
reasons, such as a joint or back injury, in which
case they will go out for their daily outings with a
human companion. Dogs that are not socialized to
other dogs and exhibit aggressive
behavior are evaluated on an individual basis, but
in most cases are not appropriate guests.
What is the difference between Playcare and Daycare?
Playcare is for well socialized dogs who come to
Truckee-Tahoe Kennels often enough that they have a
regular group to play with. It is an all day cage
free environment, so we must be very selective to
ensure all of our guests’ safety. To be admitted to
our Playcare program, we may require a trial day in
addition to our regular evaluation.
Daycare is for those dogs who may not play well or
are anxious in groups, may be possessive of their
toys, have medical conditions, or who will only be
with us for a short time. Daycare dogs will go
outside individually and will be treated to an
additional TLC session of your choice.
My little dog is terrified of big dogs. How will he
be made comfortable? Little
dogs will be made to feel welcome in their own
special area, away from the big dogs. They play in
their own small dog groups and they always have a
great time!
How old does my puppy need to be to stay at
Truckee-Tahoe Kennels?
For overnight boarding puppies must
be 20 weeks old and have received at least three
puppy (DHLPP) shots and a one year Rabies
vaccination (for puppies over 4 months of age), and a one year Bordatella vaccination.
Will my dog lose her housetraining habits?
No! Dogs staying at Truckee-Tahoe Kennels quickly
adapt to our routine and learn to use the gravel
potty areas in the yard as their bathroom area. For
adult dogs, 5 trips outside between 6:30 am and 9 pm
are usually plenty to keep up their training. We
bring puppies out more frequently, and reward them
with praise and treats for appropriate potty events.
What type of training do you do at Truckee-Tahoe
Kennels?
We use positive reinforcement techniques to teach
dogs what behaviors are appropriate. We reinforce
the desirable behaviors (such as sitting politely)
with praise and food rewards and we ignore and never
reinforce behaviors we don’t like (such as jumping
up on people). We also use praise and treats to
create positive associations with objects and
experiences that dogs may otherwise find frightening
or uncomfortable. We do not use adverse measures to
punish behavior. Our training techniques are fun for
both people and dogs, strengthen the human-animal
bond, and create dogs that love to learn! We offer
classes and workshops to teach owners how to work
with their own dogs, and we offer staff training
sessions with boarding and day care dogs to
complement the work they are doing at home. Our
head trainer worked with the Humane Society of
Truckee-Tahoe before joining Truckee-Tahoe Kennels,
and she is especially sensitive to the needs of
anxious or shy dogs.
My dog has special medical needs.
We have a vet on call 24 hours a day, and we can
accommodate most special medical needs, including
administration of medications, pills, and eye and
ear medications. We are familiar with the special
needs of blind dogs, deaf dogs, dogs with spine, hip
and knee problems, epileptic dogs and very senior
citizens. We cannot accept any dogs with contagious
illnesses. Please bring any medications in separate,
clearly marked pill boxes or zip lock baggies with
the appropriate amount of pills for your dog’s stay
measured out. (do not pre-mix medications into your
dog's food.)
Also, please be aware that there are inherent risks
in boarding a senior dog. Underlying health problems
can be exacerbated by stress, and illnesses or
infections, which would be minor in a younger dog,
can become serious and even life threatening in an
elderly or frail dog. Owners of senior dogs should
give us clear instructions about their preferences
for medical care and intervention.
I am concerned about my dog’s health.
Our service is designed to maintain optimum health
of our guests. We require each dog to be fully
vaccinated before boarding. We also keep the
environment as low stress as possible and follow
have a regular schedule. A low-stress environment
and regular schedule help support the immune system
and keep dogs healthy. Each room is also
individually ventilated which helps prevent the
spreading of disease.
Depending on the situation, dogs may also be brought
to their own veterinarian for treatment. We will
always contact the owner in the case of a medical
problem requiring veterinary care.
We require that all dogs that come for boarding or
daycare be free from any pests or parasites. While
fleas do not survive in the Truckee area, they can
still be transferred from dog to dog should your dog
arrive from lower elevation with fleas. Even though
the indoor surfaces and cleaning methods at
Truckee-Tahoe Kennels are not conducive to flea
development, our guests do play in an outdoor space
and interact with other dogs. If you are concerned
about flea and tick infestation, we suggest you
treat your dog with Advantage or Frontline prior to
your dog’s stay at Truckee-Tahoe Kennels
How far in advance do I need reservations?
Our busiest times of year are holidays and the
summer months, where we fill up weeks in advance. We
recommend you make your reservations well in
advance. We do request 24 hours notice for
cancellation of reserved stays, and five days during
peak periods.
When can I check my dog in and when can I pick her
up?
Truckee-Tahoe Kennels is open 365 days per year but
closed to the public on Christmas and Thanksgiving.
Your dog can arrive for check in anytime between
8:00 AM & 6:00 PM (except 12-2pm) on the day your reservation
begins. Dogs can checkout between 8:00 AM &
10:00 AM (no charge for that day), between 10:00 AM
& 6:00 PM (play care charge for that day). You
can also pre-arrange an earlier drop off and later
pick up for a fee of $10.00. Please call for
more information.
What should I bring for my dog’s stay?
We recommend you bring your dog’s own food and any
medications. You will be asked to remove any leashes
or collars before saying goodbye to your dog for
safety purposes. We do not accept bedding or toys,
but we will accept chewable items like bully sticks,
rawhides & greenies, please only pack enough for the
visit. All dogs are given a cozy fleece bed to sleep on.
If a friend is picking up your dog you will need to
make plans to get our dog's leash and collar to your
friend as we do not store these items.
What vaccinations are required?
Please provide us with proof of vaccination for DHLPP (distemper combo), a
current Rabies vaccination, and proof of Bordetella
vaccination within the past year. Bordetella is an
intranasal vaccine against canine coughs and colds,
and should be given at least 7 days prior to the
start of your dog’s stay. Owners are responsible for
providing us with updated vaccination records – if
you don’t have records you can call your
veterinarian and ask them to fax us directly at
530-582-5850.
We do accept titer tests for DHLPP & Rabies IF the
dog is 14+ years of age AND the vet has written a
letter stating that this must be done for medical
reasons.
Can my son or daughter volunteer to pet the dogs?
We are sorry but our insurance does not cover
volunteers. However, both the Humane Society of
Truckee-Tahoe has excellent volunteer programs for
adults and kids 10 and older.
Can I call to check on my dog?
Of course! We welcome your calls during regular
business hours, and we are always happy to give you
a report on how your dog is doing with meals and
playgroups. We also check our e-mail frequently and
are happy to respond to your questions via e-mail.
|
